There are intricacies that are involved in bathing and feeding an infant. Bathing an infant in a bath tub or a baby tub is a difficult and sometimes dangerous proposition. The infant must be supported at all times to prevent slipping that can lead to injury. This means that the person bathing the infant must support the wet slippery infant with one hand while bathing it with the other.
Typically after they are fed, infants often spit up. This is caused by air bubbles swallowed with the food. To prevent spitting up it is recommended that an infant be propped up to a 30.degree. angle for 20 minutes after being fed. This allows gravity to push the food down while at the same time allowing any air bubbles to rise facilitating burping. When sleeping, infants are more comfortable at an angle lower than 30.degree.. On the other hand, when sitting, an infant may want to be inclined at an angle greater than 30.degree. so he or she can view his or her surroundings. A cradling surface, therefore, which can cradle and support an infant in a bath tub or baby tub to facilitate bathing, that is capable of supporting an infant at an angle of 30.degree. to facilitate burping without spitting up, after feeding, which can keep the baby at an angle less than 30.degree. to facilitate sleeping and at an angle greater than 30.degree. to facilitate seating would be of great assistance to a person taking care of an infant. Such a cradling surface must be capable of adjusting itself to different incline angles, must be capable of being secured to a bathtub, a tabletop or other surface. Furthermore, such a cradling surface must be capable of accommodating infants of different heights. The surface must be made of a material that is comfortable to the baby. In addition, it must provide means for securing the baby and means for preventing the baby from slipping down its length.
While Sheu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,300 discloses an inclining surface, such surface is limited for use in a bathtub only and cannot support itself outside of the bathtub. Furthermore, the Sheu patent does not discloses a cradling surface for supporting an infant for feeding, washing, seating and sleeping, where such a surface is self-supporting, and where such a surface can be easily secured in a bathtub as well as on a tabletop or other surface. In addition, another prior art disclosed surface for supporting infants, cannot be inclined to the appropriate angles to facilitate better infant feeding, bathing, seating and sleeping.